Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-09
THE VALLEY OF ELSIN0RE.
Wonders and Beauties of the Canyons,
Mountains, Valleys and Lakes in San
Diego County, California "A Paradise
for the Health-Seeker.

visitor in Southern California, has
much TO learn after he has visited Los
Angeles, enjoyed it's suburban delights
including Pasadena and the San Ga
briel Valley, run down to Santa Moni
ca-and g. trip to Riverside and Pomo
ma, etc. This is the conventional routine
and it is well to follow it. It's enjoy.
ments, it's wonders and beauties have
been often described and are well
known.
San Diego County, taken as g. whole,
is even now sierra incognita," to
the denizens of California itself. !
CHANGED last April to find my way to
one of the most peculiar and beauti-
full valleys even in that most wonder
ful world of mountains, canyons and
plains, San Diego County. Its history,
so far as | know it, may be writ
ten in few lines. The Elsi-
more Valley was settled, OF
rather colonized, only two years
since. 1t was q portion of the Teme-
cula grant, and the rich and fertile
lands adjoining the lake were culti-
waited q hundred years ago by some
enterprising Spanish ranchman, as
the old vineyards, where the vines
have grown to an enormous size
and still fourishing testify. They
still yield their fragrant and juicy
clusters. This wonderful valley is
situated thirty miles south of River
side, upon the Southern Pacific Rail-
road. In it's very heart, shut in by
fertile meadows, bounded by lofty
mountain peaks, is q beautiful lake
seven miles long and from three to four
miles wide. The loneliness and still
ness OF this mountain lake, as saw it
on a sunny day last April, will always
remain q thing of beauty on the retina
Of my minds eye. From the foot of
the hills the meadows slope gently
down to the shore. These lands are
said to be of unequaled richness and
fertility, yielding without irrigation
several crops in one season. On the
western shore the hills become mount
aims to Eastern eyes; they ere scanned
with canyons,
CAsTELLATED AND TURRETED
with great rocks and overhanging
lodges; ana, far up, looking through
glass, | could see forests of dark ever
green's. | was informed that from
their summit a large portion OF South
ern California is visible, even the whole
plain of "Our Lady, the Queen of the
Angels" The canyons are said to be
most wonderful and beautiful. re-
GREETED that I had not time and
strength to visit them. The view from
the head of the lake is certainly one of
the most lovely bits of natures handi-
work that have ever seen. The val
ley opens to the south and over the
mirrored surface OF the lake are seen
distant mountain ranges. The effect
of the clouds and the mountains as
reflected in the lake, was exquisitely
tender and lovely. Far to the north
the hills crowd and tumble together,
and over all is the grand glittering
peaks of San Jacinto and San Berna-
dino, clad in everlasting Wilderness.
A drive of seventeen miles entirely
around this gem in the mountains d.
vided my interest and pleasure in q
bewildering way. wanted to enjoy
the scen cry, as in our progress new
vistas of beauty were opened. want
ed to study the wild flowers, for every
moment saw some charming stran-
ger that must gather. The demands
| made upon the driver began to tell
after he had jumped from the carriage
a dozen times to pluck handful of
what seemed to him worthless weeds.
And more than all, wanted to watch
the focks OF great white pelicans which
scared above the water, and there
were swans floating far out upon the
lake. At one point we came upon her.
ons and egrets-just think of that !
standing motiOnless upon the shore.
Flocks of duck Use from the reeds as
we drove Past, h many varieties in
short, the strange wild birds that
haunt this valley would make an or
nithologist wild with delight. To de-
scribe the wild flowers which, on a
sunny day in February, March and
April, open with such ineffable
charm, and in such uncounted mill
ions and billions in this climate,
is simply impossible. I saw elder
trees-our good "elder-blow" bush
grown twenty feet high or more, and
covered with their cream-white feath-
cry bloom. The wild lilac OF Califcr-
MIA was just then a bower of hello
trope-tinted beauty. Purple and pink
fringed gilly flowers, cream cups and
dark blue-bell flowers, with daisies of
the most lovely and star-like forms,
mingled with the orange chriseis, all
forming an iridescent carpet indie
scribably enchanting. s'This is like
being born into a new world" said
one of the party; I wonder if in that
blessed land into which, since that
April day, he has entered, he finds his
pleasures in such scenes as this. If be
does, he will not forget the friends he
met on that happy morning. The eli
mate in Southern California is with
out doubt the
FINEST IN THE WORLD.
It is dry, equable, and free from
malaria. San Diego County is par
excellence most uniform in tempera-
ture. There are rainy and chilly days
everywhere. Outside of the tropics,
and always in dry climate, there
must be cool nights. The winter
traveller, when perhaps he has been
accustomed to three days of snow
three days ofthe mercury below zero